The man tried to assault but was thwarted when a car came down the alley, according to an LAPD statement. He fled.

Detectives say the suspect fit the description of the Teardrop Rapist and that, instead of the 28 attacks previously linked to the man, he might now have been linked to 35 "similar incidents."

The assaults have been linked through DNA evidence and/or the suspect's distinct mode of operation.

Cops note that the Teardrop Rapist usually strikes between 5 and 8 a.m. and focuses on core areas of the city, from Koreatown to South L.A. to the area around USC (explore the links on this post for maps).

He's described as a hoodie-wearing 40- or 50-something Latino who's 5 feet, 2 inches to 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weights 130 to 170 pounds. He might have mustache and a teardrop tattoo under one eye.

L.A. Weekly staff writer Dennis Romero has worked on staff at several magazines and newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times, where he participated in Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the L.A. riots. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone online, the Guardian, and, as a young stringer, the New York Times.